It has long been known that absorbent articles such as diapers offer the benefit of receiving and containing urine and/or other bodily exudates. To effectively contain exudates, the article should provide a snug fit around the waist and legs of a wearer. Absorbent articles are known to have an absorbent main body comprising a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core.
Current diaper designs frequently include the use of an inner leg cuff to prevent leakage of bodily exudates and an outer leg cuff which provides a covering over the inner leg cuff to minimize the visibility of exudates through the inner leg cuff and provide a secondary means to capture bodily exudates should they breach the inner leg cuff. The inner leg cuff may be made using a hydrophobic nonwoven and may be disposed on the body-facing surface of the absorbent article or connected to the body-facing surface of the film backsheet layer. The inner leg cuff may be a substantially liquid impervious layer that prevents bodily exudates from passing out of the sides of the article and may also be highly breathable, allowing outside air to reach the skin to help maintain a healthy level of skin hydration. The outer leg cuff contains the outer leg elastic strands, which create the contraction forces and gathers, and can be sandwiched between the cuff material and backsheet material. In many current diapers, the outer leg cuff comprises the polymeric film layer of the backsheet to prevent molten adhesive from passing through the cuff to the garment-facing surface of the article during manufacturing, as well as to secure manufacturing tolerances when cutting, tracking, transferring, and combining materials. The polymeric film generally is used to prevent these issues, however, may result in a plastic like touch and may generate a paper like noise upon handling. Such sensory signals may connote a cheap or low quality diaper.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need for an absorbent article having leg cuffs that have improved tactile and perceived softness, while maintaining the performance of leakage protection. There is further a need for manufacturing such a wearable article in a reliable and economical manner.